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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: toast · court · row · pitch · fan · scale · plane · bay

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. court — of law
  3. court — of a king
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. toast — bread
  7. pitch — completely
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. court — for sport
  10. row — a line
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. row — to paddle
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. scale — in music
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. plane — a tool
  24. pitch — a sports field

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com